The subject invention relates to riding toys and stands therefor.
Hobby horses and rocking horses have long been popular toys for children. Caster-walkers have gained popularity as well, because they provide both entertainment and healthy excercise for toddlers. However, toddlers rapidly outgrow caster-walkers and may desire a rocking horse or a spring suspended horse. The provision of these three toys may require the purchase of as many as three separate, different devices. This problem has resulted in the design of a number of convertible riding toys.
A known hobby horse, illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 2,707,633 to Wiley et al., is adapted to be resiliently suspended from a stationary stand or a rocking stand which is substituted for the stationary stand. The Wiley et al. hobby horse has a disadvantage in that two different, structurally complete stands must be provided to use the apparatus as both a spring suspended rocking horse and a spring horse with a stationary stand.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a riding toy and stand apparatus which is convertible from a spring suspended rocking toy to a spring suspended toy with a stationary stand, without the provision of two separate stands.
A known amusement device, illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 2,754,120 to Green, is convertible from a mobile, wheeled toy horse to a rocking horse. The device has several disadvantages, the most important of which are that (1) it is not adapted to be propelled by the child when configured as a wheeled horse; (2) it is convertible from a wheeled horse to a rocking horse by provision of a complicated mechanism for retracting the wheels; and (3) the riding toy is not resiliently suspended.
Accordingly it is a further object of the present invention to provide an easily and inexpensively fabricated riding toy and stand apparatus, readily convertible from a walker to a resiliently suspended rocking toy.
A prior art device includes a stand for a resiliently suspended riding toy having two upright U-shaped end support frames. A pair of U-shaped side frames are detachably mounted to the end frames in either an upright or inverted orientation. In the upright orientation, a riding toy may be suspended from the ends of the side frames to provide a stationary spring suspended toy. Alternatively, the side frames may be inverted and provided with ground engaging casters when the apparatus is configured as a walker. In this configuration the riding toy may be equipped with a basket seat for securing the child on the toy and permitting the child's legs to extend downward.
The above-described prior art device has several disadvantages, the most important of which are: (1) the device is not convertible into a rocking toy; and (2) the stand must be almost completely disassembled and reassembled and the riding toy disengaged from its suspending springs and then resuspended, in order to convert the device from a caster-walker to a stationary spring suspended toy.
Accordingly, it is yet another object of the present invention to provide a riding toy and stand apparatus, easily converted from a caster-walker, to a rocking toy, and to a stationary, spring suspended toy.
A prior art device of applicant's assignee includes a riding toy resiliently supported by two inverted U-shaped end support frames provided with detachable casters. The end frames are joined by a pair of upright U-shaped side frames, bolted to the end frames. The riding toy is selectively provided with a basket seat for securing the child and permitting the child's legs to extend downward.
While the above-described device has numerous advantages, it is susceptible to improvements. There is a need for a riding toy and stand apparatus which is readily convertible to a rocking toy. There is likewise a need for a stand apparatus which provides a high degree of structural stability without being constructed of expensive, relatively strong structural members and fastenings to prevent collapse.
Accordingly, a further object of the present invention is to provide a novel riding toy and stand apparatus which is convertible into a rocking toy.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a novel riding toy stand with a high degree of structural strength.
These and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the claims and from the following description when read in conjunction with the appended drawings.